Education: Bachelor of Science in Business; Master of Science in Management
Work Experience: I worked in various administrative positions and as a vocational education teacher in North Dakota and Minnesota prior to starting a career with General Foods in Denver. When Kraft Foods merged with General Mills, I moved to California to work out of the San Leandro Customer Service Office as district manager for Kraft Foods. In 1995, I transferred to Northwest Arkansas as a regional customer service and finance manager for the Kraft Walmart team. After losing a child, my life and priorities changed, and I have been working on the mission of Kendrick Fincher Hydration for Life since 1997.
GO & DO
Beat the Heat Summer Swing Golf Tournament
What: 18-hole, four-person scramble
When: Noon July 20
Where: Springdale Country Club
Registration: $800 per team
Beat the Heat Luncheon
What: Heat Stroke Awareness Month kick off, keynote speaker Bret Bielema
When: 11:30 a.m. July 30
Where: John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers
Tickets: Sponsorships available
A Cool Summer Homecoming
What: Dinner, drinks, dancing, silent auction, homecoming court, Back Road Anthem
When: 6-11 p.m. Aug. 22
Where: Fayetteville Town Center
Attire: Homecoming
Tickets: $100 or $1,000 for a table for eight
Information: (479) 986-9960 or kendrickfincher.org
Tell us about your organization:
Mission:
Promote proper hydration and prevent heat illness through education and supporting activities.
Services provided:
"Beehydrated" hydration education program for elementary school students
Presentations to students, coaches, parents and athletes on proper hydration and heat illness prevention
Distribute squeeze bottles and educational pamphlets to support education programs
Participate in area health fairs
Provide "cool huts" with misters and free ice water at outdoor community events
Provide heat safety presentations for work places
Service area:
Northwest Arkansas. We also partner with state organizations to support statewide education, including the Department of Health Emergency Medical Services for Children, Arkansas Activities Association, Department of Education and the Arkansas Educational Television Network.
Average number of people served annually:
In 2014 we had more than 12,000 direct contacts where we provided a presentation and distributed squeeze bottles and pamphlets; thousands indirectly through health fairs, cool huts and the extended reach of parent meetings through our partnership with Arkansas Activities Association.
How is your organization's mission unique?
We are the only organization in the United States with a sole focus on proper hydration and heat illness prevention.
Why do you work for a nonprofit organization? Do you have a personal connection to the mission? If so, what is it?
The mission found me through the death of my son in 1995. Kendrick went to his first day of football practice and experienced heatstroke and died 18 days later. I was astonished to learn that Kendrick was not the first child to die from heatstroke and yet nothing was being done to prevent heat illness. Heat illness is 100 percent preventable, and I am committed to helping prevent other deaths.
What part of your job fills the most of your time?
The education we provide to students, parents, coaches and athletes, as everything we do, points back to or supports our mission.
What have you learned on the job that you didn't expect?
1. That I would be doing this for so long! It has been 20 years since Kendrick died, and there is still so much progress to be made.
2. The dedication of volunteers. We have been blessed with hundreds of volunteers over the years that have dedicated countless hours to our mission. We would not even be in operation anymore if it weren't for their time, encouragement and continued dedication.
What challenges face your organization?
With a nonprofit, it all goes back to funding. With the appropriate funding, we could do more and do it better! Funding provides the building, staff, educational materials, technology and all the tangible things that move the mission forward.
Are there volunteer opportunities in your organization? What are they?
We have many volunteer opportunities including office work, event specific activities, committee chairs, board membership, help with school presentations and health fairs/cool huts. If you are reading this and you would like to get involved, I'd love to meet with you to find an area within our organization for you to share your talents.
What gets you out of bed to go to work in the morning?
There is still much work to be done, and Kendrick Fincher Hydration for Life continues to make progress!
What do you hope you leave behind as your legacy?
Foremost I want to be remembered as a great mother to my children and friend to my friends. After that, it is OK if I am remembered as the water lady! Some people say we will never know how many lives we have saved, and we won't. But I want parents to always remember that we tried, and maybe it is your child that is healthier because of our hydration education program or alive because we taught coaches and athletes how to prevent heat illness.
Executive Summary is a weekly Profiles feature introducing readers to the leaders of charitable and nonprofit organizations in our community. Contact Carin Schoppmeyer at [email protected].
NAN Profiles on 07/12/2015